HALIFAX - Baseball Canada held its annual national awards banquet in Halifax, Nova Scotia over the weekend in conjunction with Baseball Nova Scotia.
Baseball Canada would like to congratulate the following award winners.
Dick Willis Memorial Award for Umpire of the Year
CHRIS WILHELM (STAFFA, ONTARIO)
Chris was an extremely busy in 2024 from the international right down to the local levels. In fact, he’s currently in Mexico working as a Video Review Official at Premier 12. Premier 12 is his third international event of the year as he also worked the Women’s World Cup in Thunder Bay and the U15 World Cup in Colombia. Chris serves as Supervisor of Umpires for Baseball Ontario and was elected as a Director for Baseball Ontario's Board of Management assuming the position of Director of Umpire Development. Chris is a force when is comes to Umpire Education in Ontario assigning Umpire Clinicians to over 100 clinics, chairing monthly Provincial Umpires Executive Committee meetings, teaching several Level 1-3 Umpire Clinics and supporting Ontario's Women's Development Pathway, including securing funding to send 3 Ontario Women to Women's Invitational Events.
Baseball Canada Lifelong Coaching Award
GAÉTAN GAGNON (TROIS-RIVIÉRES, QUÉBEC)
Gaétan has made an extraordinary contribution to the sport of baseball in Canada, dedicating nearly 40 years of his life to coaching and mentoring young athletes at various levels of the game. Gaétan is the president and founder of Baseball CRM, an organization that has been managing the Sport-Études program at both the secondary and college levels in the Mauricie region since 2008. For over 12 years, Gaétan has been a vital part of Baseball Québec’s AAA development network, where he has consistently demonstrated his exceptional coaching abilities, leadership, and passion for the sport. His role in shaping and developing young players in this elite program has been invaluable. Gaétan’s impact extends beyond the field, as he also served as a scout for the Atlanta Braves for 12 years. His keen eye for talent and his understanding of the game have been instrumental in the development of many players who have achieved success both nationally and internationally.
Lionel Ruhr Elite Coach of the Year Award
SEAN O’BRIEN (INNISFIL, ONTARIO)
The impact that Sean has had on Ontario’s women’s program is immeasurable dating back to the inception of the program two decades ago. Having coached Ontario’s entry to 15 consecutive medals including 10 gold medals at the Women’s level from 2006 to 2022, Sean added to that tally in 2024 with Bronze at both the 21U and 16U national championships. His work as a coach extends beyond the Provincial program as he’s a member of the Female Baseball Committee in Ontario, oversees the Canada Games program where female baseball will make its debut next summer and is also the Lead Instructor at Baseball Ontario’s Girls Baseball Camps. Sean’s busy 2024 also saw him ID athletes for 3 teams that competed at the Ontario Summer Games where he led one of the squads to a bronze medal.
Baseball Canada Volunteer of the Year Award
DAN COX (WINNIPEG, MANITOBA)
Dan is the reason Red River Valley Baseball has turned a corner and has now become a leading member of Baseball Manitoba. Serving as President of Red River Valley since 2016, Dan’s efforts have been felt across all areas of the association including umpire recruitment and retention, team success at the City and Provincial level, the implementation of a Challenger Baseball program and a membership that continues to grow and succeed at all levels. Dan’s impact on baseball extends beyond his association as he also serves as President of “WABA” and Chair of Winnipeg Minor Baseball. He coaches his son’s 15U team and also managed to umpire 10 games this season. Clearly, Dan does is all!
Province of the Year Award
BASEBALL SASKATCHEWAN
Now a 10-time winner of the Province of the Year Award since 1986, Baseball Saskatchewan scored first in the categories of Governance along with Coach and Umpire Development while placing near the top in Program Delivery and Membership. Highlights also included placing players on Baseball Canada’s Women’s and Junior National Teams and winning two silver medals at Baseball Canada National Championships.
